Fur, fur and more fur

Page Tools

A model presents a creation as part of Dsquared 2's Fall/Winter 2005/06 women's collections during Milan's fashion week.Photo: Reuters

Italy's top fashion houses are predicting an Arctic freeze next
winter, given the amount of fur they sent down the catwalk during
last week's ready-to-wear shows in Milan, as well as a return to
basic black.

After the spring fling with animal prints, astrakhan and mink
will be all the rage for autumn-winter 2005-06, whether in natural
form, shaved, dyed or knitted. Thompson gazelle and Mongolian goat
fur also made the must-have list.

Nearly all the top labels in Milan - Fendi, Roberto Cavalli,
Dolce and Gabbana, Gucci, Marni, Prada, Giorgio Armani, and
Gianfranco Ferre - offered a bit of fur in their collections, from
coats and jackets to skirts and boots.

Even handbags did not escape a fur makeover. At Bally, new
accessories designer Johnny Coca offered a mink pouch, either solid
or chequered. The Swiss label, along with Italian leather house
Tod's, designed sheepskin bags so that women can embrace their
inner huntress.

Black may be back for next winter, but Stefano Gabbana - who,
with long-time design partner Domenico Dolce, sent out a sexy,
glamorous collection devoted to Swinging London - said that did not
mean a return to minimalism.

Sign of the times: even Christian Lacroix put lots of black into
his collection for Emilio Pucci, using it as a counterpoint to
balance the label's trademark swirling multicoloured prints.

Miuccia Prada reminded the Milan fashion crowd that black is
forever chic with her clean collection of seemingly simple coats
and dresses that recalled the deceptively complicated couture
designs of Cristobal Balenciaga.

At Gucci, black took a back seat to multiple shades of midnight
blue and emerald, used to great effect by Alessandra Facchinetti to
soften the Gucci silhouette just a bit, turning blatantly sexy into
powerfully sensual.

Swinging London inspired several of Milan's designers, from the
jet-set fur mini-dresses of Dolce and Gabbana to the sweet
romanticism of Christopher Bailey, who turned out one of the week's
best collections at Burberry Prorsum.

Bailey's new masculine-style tartans, mixed with satin pieces in
saffron and olive green, created a new elegant look for the classic
British label.

More generally, the silhouette for next winter is ultra-feminine
with skirts the key piece for the season, in any form -- bubble,
pencil or pleated -- but all falling demurely to the knee.

Trousers were a bit of an afterthought in Milan, except at
Gucci, while bloomers and bermuda shorts were offered as an kicky
alternative. Waists were cinched, and car coats were nipped in.
Belts are the must-have accessory, as seen at Versace and
Missoni.

For evening, antique gold, silver and sparkling sequins added a
bit of drama to long siren gowns in satin, chiffon or velvet,
especially at Bottega Veneta and Alberta Ferretti, who delivered
one of the week's most glamorous shows.